Big City Diner Hana Hou

Cousins Kekoa and Sheleigh

I'm back once again at the Big City Diner. This time it's to meet up with my hanai niece Kristine, her sister Stephanie and their children.

Children??? Good Lord, I must be getting old.

When I first met Kristine, she was seven years old and one of the dancers in the halau I belonged. In time, I would rise to teach the keiki girls class and would grow close to Kristine and her family and eventually trained her for hula competitions. That was such a long time ago. Now, they've grown up, gotten married and have kids of their own who are ready for hula classes. Wow.


Kristine picks at her Teriyaki Cheeseburger without the cheese.

Once upon a time, Big City Diner started in a small location in Kaimuki serving good quality food and excellent Kim Chee Fried Rice. In fact, I'm convinced they built their empire (now with five locations on O'ahu) solely on their Kim Chee Fried Rice.

I remember the first time I went there sometime around 1999 and after the first season of The Sopranos. The Bob and I had just finished a five episode morning marathon of Tony Soprano when we decided to eat at Big City Diner. In addition to my amazement of the Kim Chee Fried Rice Loco Moco, I was in a different state of mind because of The Sopranos when I spotted some guy across the restaurant who looked like he was staring at me.

My first reaction was to stand up, put on a Jersey accent and yell at the guy "What the fuck are you looking at?" Good thing my sensible side immediately took over, reminding me that: this is not The Sopranos and no, that guy is not staring at you. Thank goodness sensible minds prevailed, I forgot to pack heat that day.


Stephanie and her daughter Syriah.

But that's neither here nor there. Since those days, Big City Diner has done pretty well for themselves, spreading their love of Kim Chee and meatloaf all over the island. It's where Kristine wanted to meet.

And a good choice too because it's kid friendly and a bit easier to find something for children to eat than Mariposa at Nieman-Marcus.

For the kids, it's hot dogs and french fries all the way around. For mom, it's a teriyaki cheeseburger with out the cheese and without the mayo. Kristine is oddly picky about her food - no cheeses. I could never fathom it. No cheese? Seems like a horrible way to live, if you ask me.


Calamari Tempura Strips - panko breaded with Spicy Garlic-Wasabi Aioli & Lemon

For me, it's another round of the Calamari Tempura Strips with the ever-present-in-Hawaii aioli of some sort or another. I've come to love these calamari strips. They done just right with a proper crisp and just the right amount of resistance in the meat. Lovely. I just wish I had something other than fancy named mayonnaise to dip it in.

In addition, I ordered the pulehu steak. After many years of living in Hawaii, I still don't get what "pulehu" means. I think it means grilled because that's the only option left. It's a simple New York stip sirloin grilled and slathered with onions. Scrape off the onions, add a bit more salt and pepper and you've got something to work with - if commercial frozen beef is something to really work with.

But it's not all bad. There's rice to go along with the steak and, in my book, that's something worthwhile. Living on the mainland means you have to live without rice. Luckily, it's plentiful in Hawaii. Make it fried and with Kim Chee and you can keep it coming.


Pulehu Steak with grilled onions, mushrooms and Kim Chee Fried Rice

The rest of the afternoon passed by pleasantly. It's good to catch up again since I hadn't seen Kristine in four years and I'm absolutely terrible at "keeping in touch." She's got two boys. Stephanie has two girls. They've grown up and I've gotten older.

At least I can make Kim Chee Fried Rice at home now...


Big City Diner Pearlridge
98-211 Pali Momi Street
Aiea, Hawaii 96701
808*487*8188
www.bigcitydinerhawaii.com

Special K, Eggs and Black & Blue Ahi

Special K, Croissant and a Hard Boiled Egg, with Orange Juice

Once again, I'm alone again. All my friends have returned to the mainland and I'm holed up at the Acqua Coconut Hotel in Waikiki for another night. This morning I've decided to return to my usual retinue of lighter fare by availing myself of the free continental breakfast. Just some light stuff to start the day - especially since I can't decide if I still feel full from my dinner last night at Alan Wong's.

This trip has been like a journey down memory lane. It was nearly twenty years ago (August 24th 1988 to be exact) that The Bob and I moved to Hawaii to attend Hawaii Loa College in Kane'ohe. That first week I checked into the Outrigger Reef Towers on Lewers Street while I hunted for a place to live. Many years later that was renovated and converted into the Wyndham Vacation Resort Condos where we stayed during the first part of this trip.

Now, I'm in the old Waikiki Coconut hotel whose old restaurant Seibu Bistro was the first place I ever tried Black and Blue Ahi that changed my perspective on eating fish forever. In one bite, I was hooked. Ahi was it. Fish was the real deal. But I couldn't remember the restaurant for years after. Until today.

It's strange how some things come full-circle in life.

Alan Wong's

The Dining Room and Kitchen at Alan Wong's

In the many times I've returned to Honolulu after moving away in 1996, I haven't really explored the big hitters in this towns' fine dining scene. Sure, I've taken dates to places like John Dominis and Hoku's, or have been to high-end Japanese joints like Imanas-Tei, but outside of frequenting the Roy's in Baltimore, I really haven't explored Honolulu's fine dining scene.

With this trip, I wanted to end all of that. The problem is that it's difficult to break away from all the great local joints to spend money to eat at some snazzy joint - especially one that's hard to find.

But I had it all planned out. I would take this one night to eat somewhere nice. The choice was between Mavro and Alan Wong's - two icons on Hawaii's food scene. The question was: which one? Chef Mike had interned at Mavro during his years at KCC's cooking school and recommended I eat there. Others who had been to both (like Sree) suggested going to Alan Wong's first. Alan Wong's won out.


Local Style Condiments - Chili Pepah Watah & Shoyu

Like I said, it's kinda hard to find. Located on South King Street, you're expecting a street-level restaurant with a sign that let's you know that you've arrived. Instead, Alan Wong's is located on the third floor of a very non-descript office building. I passed it more than a couple of times looking for it until I punched it into my iPhone and started looking for an exact address - an address other than "on King street between Kalakaua and McCully."

Once found, the only thing alerting you to the fact that you've arrived is the valet guy. He's just casually sitting there with the valet parking sign that says in small letters "Alan Wong's." It's way too easy to miss.

The building itself is nothing special, neither is the lobby, or the elevator slowly rising to the third floor. In fact, the concrete building looks kinda drab and you wonder if this place really is going to be a hit. Then the elevator door opens and suddenly you're bathed in warm incandescent light at a proper illumination. The restaurant is warm, inviting and the hostesses are friendly and welcoming. I didn't have a reservation.


Passion Fruit Iced Tea with simple syrup

Perhaps it's not a wise move to drop into one of the busiest restaurants in the city without a reservation, but I fancy myself a pirate. If I get a table, great. If not, I've gambled and then I can go to Zippy's. Either way, it's a win-win situation in my mind. But gambling isn't able throwing the dice blindly. It's Wednesday night, not Friday. And it's past nine o'clock and not seven. I'm betting that this mid-week visit, late in the service will increase my chances for landing a table for one. And it pays off.

The hostess is friendly and accommodating. In just a few moments, I'm escorted to a small two-top not too far from the large plate glass windows fronting the King Street side of the building with nice views of the buildings across the streets and the Ko'olau hills in the distance dotted with homes and neighborhoods. This evening hour also means that my view is glittering with lights from those houses in those neighborhoods and makes for a delightful view - like red lava cascading down the mountainside.

Personally speaking, I would have preferred a four top - especially since it's later in the service and it's unlikely that larger parties will be coming in after me (since most people like to eat at 7pm). But maybe this is my penance for arriving without a reservation. It's not uncomfortable (well, maybe the chair is) and I continue on - after I've swapped chairs from another table (one without such a sweeping back that makes me feel as though I'm nearly lying down - I hate those).


Decent Bread

My server, Ryan, stops by to welcome me and ask for my drink order. Iced tea, please - I've already drank way too much on this trip. There's a brief discussion about the menu. I can order a la carte or choose from a five course or seven course tasting menu. The seven course menu is $95.00 or $135.00 with the wine pairing. Maybe I'm jaded or maybe I just have a skewed sense of perception, but $95 seems downright reasonable to me for a tasting menu and I'm going for it. Of course, my perception is probably skewed by the $500 and $900 I ended up spending at per se and L'Arpege, respectively. Skewed indeed.

Actually, I already knew I was going to order the tasting menu. I had looked it up online. My problem in restaurants nowadays is that reading a menu gives me a headache. I don't want to see too many choices. Just give me the best representation of what the kitchen can do. I don't want to think about it too much. I just want to be amazed. So, bring it on.

The first thing that lands on my table is the bread rolls and some sort of soft butter-looking thing. The bread is decent. It's warm and chewy but nothing special. It's not stellar. This is bread that's decently made but it's not the sublime bread experience that I had at Michel Richard's Central. It's good, just not breathtaking.


Chili Pepper & Olive Oil Aioli

Someone this week commented on the increasing frequency of mayonnaise disguised as "aioli" and I have to say "I think they're right." Everywhere I go in Hawaii, from the local plate lunch joint to the fancy fine dining establishment seems obsessed with offering an "aioli." It's freaking everywhere. Almost as if you're not a chef unless you offer some kind of aioli. It reminds me of the baristas' obsession with cardamom. Give it up already, please.

What's accompanying my bread is a chili pepper and olive oil aioli. It's not bad but it doesn't replace butter. How about some locally made, salted butter with chili peppers? Now, that could be amazing. The bread isn't bad but I think with butter it could be quite interesting. The aioli (read: mayonnaise) is good. It's appealing, but it ain't buttery goodness. It's like substituting tofu bacon for the real thing: please don't do it.

Just a few minutes after placing my order, the long procession of courses suddenly starts. I was expecting a bit more time before starting but we're off to the races. In fact, the one thing I note during this dinner is the pace of the courses. It seems fast to me. One course on top of the other. Seven courses in under one and a half hours. I calculated the time: about ten minutes between courses. With all things considered, it's actually not that fast, it just seemed fast. I don't know why.


"Cold Seafood Salad" - Kona Abalone, Lobster & Lump Crab with Abalone Gelee, Soy Katsuo & Green Onion Oil

First up is the "Cold Seafood Salad" (I don't know why they used quotes). It's good. Quite good. Cool, refreshing and slightly acidic and it makes my palate dance. The abalone is firm and chewy and combines wonderfully with the lobster and crab. The gelee is slightly strange but the green onion oil brings it all together. I chomp it down greedily.


"Soup and Sandwich" - Chilled Vine Ripened Hamakua Spring Tomato Soup with Grilled Mozzarella Cheese, Foie Gras and Kalua Pig Sandwich

It's not long before my next course arrives and it's name reminds me of Thomas Keller's penchant for using cute terms to jog the memory. Actually, it reminds me so much of Keller that it almost detracts from the course since I'm thinking that it's no longer cute but just a ripoff of Keller's technique. I work hard to push that thought out of my mind as I taste the sandwich.

The course is a delightful little sandwich of foie gras and kalua pig on toasted brioche. It's tasty and served on top of a parmesan crisp that adds a complimentary zing the counterbalance the richness of the kalua, though the foie's flavor is lost against the kalua.


The Tomato Soup of "Soup and Sandwich"

The soup itself is served underneath the rest in a yellow and red ying yang pattern that's visually appealing and a bit gag-me-in-the-mouth-with-a-spoon cute. The tomato soup tastes alive and refreshing. It's seasoned just right to allow the natural flavor of the tomato pop. It's served in a martini glass, which normally hate but for some reason, it works here.

Actually, thinking more about it, it's not the name that puts me off, it's the use of quotes. That's very Keller-esque and, I think, rather unnecessary. Just let it be Soup and Sandwich, not "Soup and Sandwich" - it comes off a bit pretentious and contrived that way. Of course, I'm probably just as guilty of doing the same. I make a mental note to myself to stop that practice in the future.


Kabayaki Unagi Foie Gras Pork Hash Terrine -

By this point, I'm starting to feel the pressure from the kitchen. The courses seem to be flying out towards me at a high rate of speed. It's still ten minutes between courses but maybe they're too big or maybe I'm just lingering with them too long, but as soon as I'm done, the next one arrives. No time to breathe or reflect.

Next up is the highlight of the meal: the terrine.

In a word: it's stellar. Bold flavors. Interesting mix of ingredients. Perfectly executed. Each element complimenting the other. A beautiful example of mixing traditional elements of Hawaii cuisine with classic French technique. It was amazing. The pork hash with the firm texture of the unagi and rich elements from the foie covered in a kabayaki sauce and all pressed into a terrine, sliced and served with some seaweed and a shallot-like veggie. Unbelievable.

I had wanted to come and experience something new and exciting and this was it. This was exactly what I had been hoping for. Perhaps on another day I will come to Alan Wong's and order this as an a la carte item. Maybe two.


Steamed Kona Kampachi - Dried Scallop Truffle Risotto Flan

Suddenly, a most interesting dish landed in front of me. Flan with fish and risotto? Good Heavens, that sounds gross. Flan as a savory? With fish? That's...erm...new...

But I'm game for just about anything, so I dig in. Steamed kampachi fish layered on top of a light flan floating in a light broth hiding a layer of risotto. It's pretty damn good. The fish is perfectly steamed and the light broth is complimentary. The flan is also light and mixed with the risotto it all comes together.

In two courses, we've gone from something bold and stellar to something new and exciting. This round combines traditional elements of flan and risotto in ways that I would never have thought possible. Nice work.


Kona Abalone & Lobster - Negi Oil, Hamakua Eryngi Mushrooms

We've rounded a corner. We're more than halfway through the menu and I feel like we're racing. According to my calculations, the timing is roughly the same as places like Alinea or per se, but it feels like were gunning it pedal to the metal.

As I taste the next course, I'm slightly underwhelmed. The ingredients are good and the flavors are complimentary. Tasty even. I just can't help but think I've had this before. And it turns out that I have had it before. The abalone and lobster are the same elements in the first course. The abalone again is springy, textured and tasty. So too is the lobster. But in many ways, it's almost a rehash of the first course and, therefore, a disappointment. Surely there are other ingredients and combinations the kitchen can come up with.


Maui Cattle Company Striploin - Red Wine Braised Oxtail, Roasted Maui Onions, Goat Cheese Potato Croquette

The menu lists a Japanese Wagyu Beef Steak as a $30 supplement instead of this course. Japanese Wagyu is indeed tempting but when taking my order, Ryan never asked me if I was interested in the supplement. Not a big deal since I'm really interested in tasting what the local producers have to offer but it would have been nice to have been asked.

Judging by the size, this course must be The Main Event of the evening. For an a la carte item, it's a good sized portion. For the sixth course of a seven course tasting menu, it's downright huge. The loin of beef is wrapped in braised oxtail and served with two types of cauliflower and a potato croquette.

The meat is wonderfully cooked to a moist pink that highlights the natural, grass-fed beef. It's wrapped in a fatty rich braised oxtail wrapper with nori that's just delicious. It's beautiful in it's own right. That's where the problems begin.

There's a sauce that's pretty much unnecessary, and the bold flavor of the goat cheese croquette and the perfectly executed cauliflower and suddenly, the flavors on the plate are fighting each other. The bold fattiness of the oxtail fights with the beef loin. The goats cheese threatens the cauliflower. So much is happening on this plate that I don't know why. Instead of allowing the natural flavors to shine through, they're now fighting each other. It's so good and rich that it falls on its' face.

There's so much going on here that I think it would have been more interesting to break the dish down further and serve the elements on their own. The Croquette and cauliflower could easily be on their own - as should the beef and oxtail. Don't get me wrong, the elements were good, they were just getting lost in transmission.


The Rising Sun - Will & Grace Coffee

With the savory items out of the way, it's time to move into dessert. One of the reasons I ended up at Alan Wong's instead of Mavro this time out was because of Lorie Obra. During our visit to her farm on Monday, she mentioned that her coffee was one of the coffees picked by Alan to be part of his coffee menu. I then took a look at their website and saw that they did indeed offer a coffee menu. That was a big reason why I chose Alan Wong's - to see just how seriously they took their coffee program.

Long time readers of this blog probably know that the state of restaurant coffee throughout the world generally sucks. It's atrocious. Only a small few chefs and restaurants know and/or care about their coffee program at this time, so it's exciting to see someone recognize the value in offering coffee of quality.

Let me say it again: the seriousness of their coffee menu was a major element in my choosing Alan Wong's over the others.

Alan Wong's Coffee Menu features coffees from eleven farms spanning four islands: Moloka'i, Kaua'i, O'ahu and the Big Island. Coffees from both Kona and Ka'u are featured, including Lorie's Rusty's Hawaiian 100% Ka'u from their estate in Pahala. The selections are quite interesting, from Eddie Sakamoto's "Private Reserve" coffees dating back to an aged 1999 lot, to Lafayette in South Kona and an old favorite: the Malulani Estate from Moloka'i. It's a nice selection of locally produced coffees from one of the only coffee growing regions in the United States.

Since I had already tasted Rusty's from Lorie herself while lounging on her lanai eating bibingka, I decided to try another Ka'u coffee, this time from Will & Grace. Grown at a place called The Rising Sun, not too far from Lorie's farm, this coffee placed 6th at the SCAA's 2007 International Coffee Competition. It would be made in French Press.

Luckily for me, French Pressed is one of my favorite ways of making coffee. It's how we do it at The Spro and usually how I do it at home. Done right, it provides a wonderfully rich cup and, unfortunately, this is where Alan Wong's program falls apart.

They've got a great selection of coffees but they're technique is off. The coffee came out to me in the press and already filled with hot water. As soon as it landed, the runner pressed it down. There's no way that in the time that they brought it out and set it down that the necessary four minutes had passed to brew a proper pot. Then, judging by the flavor of the coffee, they're using too fine a grind and too much coffee for the serving. It came out more bitter than expected. Sugar and cream were necessary I'm afraid.


Dessert Sampler

Coconut Tapioca with Mango Sorbet and fresh fruit, Strawberry Yuzu Shortcake, Haupia Sorbet and Waialua Chocolate Bar rounded out the evening in the dessert sampler. Good stuff though the Haupia sorbet seemed a bit stiff and not as flavor friendly - especially compared to the haupia ice cream from Dave's. The chocolate bars were rich and crunchy but the yuzu did not feature prominently in the shortcake. Of course, I could just be suffering from palate fatigue by this point.

The end of my meal was fast approaching. It had been a good meal. Tasty. New. Different. Most courses were just okay. But the terrine blew me away. That one course was worth it. The final taste of the night was the house made roasted macadamia nuts dipped in toffee and rolled in dark chocolate. Oooh, it was good. Sinful even.

The manager asked how my meal was and it was delicious. I had a nice time. The staff was friendly and accommodating. The runners ran off to find the answers to my questions when they didn't know the answer. And just when I started wondering if they had forgotten about me, they reappeared with the answer in hand.

It was a good time and I was finished and out of there in less than two hours. Still enough time to visit with Erika.


Chocolate Toffee Macadamia Nuts


Alan Wong's Restaurant
1857 South King Street, 3rd Floor
Honolulu, HI 96826
808-949-5226
www.alanwongs.com

Nico's at Pier 38

Lovely Lobbyist Jeannine

It was one of the recommendations made by Nadine Kam, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin's food critic, and brought up by Jeanine this morning on the phone. "Let's do lunch at Nico's." Cool. The only problem is that I didn't know where Pier 38 was.

Nico's at Pier 38. Sounds fancy, right? Sounds like a nice, table service kind of restaurant maybe along the waterfront. Well, it's along the waterfront but it ain't fancy and they ain't got table service. Nico's is strictly a plate lunch joint.

But it's a very good plate lunch joint.


Fried Ahi Belly with lomi tomato salsa

It's on the water and not too easy to find for the uninitiated. It's located on Pier 38 which is in a very industrial part of Honolulu - a part that I had never been to before, and next door to the Honolulu Fish Auction. Like a number of cities around the world, Honolulu is home to a real, bona fide fish auction. Every morning, fishermen come in with the previous nights' catch and a bidding frenzy ensures to buy the best of the best and since it's next door, Nico's ends up with some great quality fish.

We get there at noon on a weekday. The weather is sunny and beautiful. Since the pier was rehabilitated not too many years ago, it looks great. There's potted bushes lining the covered outdoor dining area fronting the warehouse space next to a fishing supply shop. Plastic tables fill the area and the place is jamming. Most of the tables are full, save one and we grab it. The crowd is decidedly mixed - not just fishermen and dock workers, but there's plenty of people in business attire and others hungrily waiting in line or devouring their plates. One thing is for sure: these people look happy.


Fish and Chips - beer battered and served with fries, malt vinegar & ginger garlic cilantro dip.

Nico's has the usual popular choices, like: Chicken Katsu, Hamburger Steak, Beef Stew and Loco Moco to satisfy the local palates, but I'm here to sample what they consider exciting and that's the fresh catch menu. As I get to the register, I ask the girl "if you had to choose between the ahi belly and the special, which would you choose?"

It's a tough and unfair question because today's special, an aku grilled and served with a tomato-based sauce, sounds delicious - but so too does the ahi belly. After a brief and agonizing moment, she suggests the ahi belly. Thank God, and slap on an order of fries and a Dr. Pepper with that too, please.


Grilled Aku Special

Ahi Belly. What a good thing. Fatty and delectable meat from the underside of the yellowfin tuna. It's rich and, well, what more could you want? Lightly coated and then deep fried, it's served with a light and acidly refreshing lomi tomato salsa that combines traditional aspects of Hawaiian cooking with something new. The fish is crispy and cooked perfectly. It's sweet and moist inside. The flavors are explosive. It's beautiful.

Served with steamed white rice and macaroni salad, it only needs a little shoyu for the rice and a little Tabasco for the salad. I can't get enough. It's absolutely delicious. A hit. A home run. I want to order another round but the generous portion means that I'm done. I can barely finish the plate.


Furikake Crusted Ahi with Ginger Garlic Cilantro Sauce

But it's so good and unlike many plate lunch joints, the portions are ample without being gratuitous. One of the problems in Hawaii is the growing rate of obesity and part of that stems from the extremely large portions being served at plate lunch joints across the islands. That unless your styro box weighs five pounds, you're not getting enough. Nico's servings are generous but not over the top.

And that's a good thing because you're left wanting more, like tomorrow.


Nico's at Pier 38
1133 North Nimitz Highway
Honoulu, HI 96817
808-540-1377
www.nicospier38.com

Morning Mashup

The rest of the crew are departing later today so we've got to get rid of some of the food that's been building up. There's still a loaf of sweetbread from Punalu'u Bakery, some leftover eggs and milk and a package of cut fruit sitting in the fridge. I spy them all and decide that a quick, eat while you pack breakfast is in order.

With a few whips of the fork and a few minutes later: Sweetbread French Toast and Fresh Island Fruit.

Hollering "Uncle" at Uncle Bo's

Baby Back Ribs

Back home in Baltimore, my "go to" place and general evening hang out is Woodberry Kitchen. I know the owner. In Honolulu, The Bob's "go to" place and hang out is Uncle Bo's Pupu Bar & Grill. He knows the owner and continually raves about it.

Doc Rhee, V, Christine and DJ Un-G are heading home tonight so the plan is to meet at Uncle Bo's and enjoy a farewell dinner. I've heard so much about this place and how good it is that I'm interested in checking it out for myself - and maybe because this is The Bob's "go to" place that I'm projecting too many of my own expectations on the place.

And when your expectations are so high, how can any place live up to them? Maybe that's just a recipe for disaster.


Spicy Tuna Wraps

As with many things in Hawaii, meeting times are kinda here nor there. The plan is to meet at 6:30pm at the restaurant. Some got there early, others (like me) got there later, like around 7pm. The restaurant was busy but not packed to the gills like I've heard it can get.

Those that got there early, ordered early. The rest of us got there and, well, did a lot of waiting.

In short, our waitress was atrocious. Absolutely, unbelievably horrible. If it wasn't a general ignorance about the food and the ingredients, it was the inattentive/poor service that took a long time to ask for our drink orders and God Knows When we might actually be able to order something to eat. The girl would disappear for extended periods of time. Maybe she was serving others, maybe she was blowing one of the kitchen staff, maybe she was having drinks at the bar - whatever she was doing, it certainly wasn't attending to her tables.


Opakapaka Chiang Mai

Granted our table of eight expanded and contracted during the time we were there. Early attendees ate then left. The rest of us arrived and waited. I can understand some level of concern about who is who, but it requires the server to actually come to the table to see who has departed and who has arrived for anything to happen.

Then, when we finally were granted the opportunity to order drinks, we were required to hand over our credit card to "open a tab."

Sorry, but I'm here to eat at a restaurant, not drink at the fucking bar.

I can understand being asked for a credit card to open a tab when I'm standing at the bar, but when I'm sitting at tables with friends for table service??? That's some audacious bullshit in my book - and a guarantee that this will be the last time I subject myself to this kind of "service."


Opakapaka Chiang Mai

So, the owners have a hip and happening spot that's mindful of their guests' credit cards, will they be as mindful of the food they serve?

I'm interested to know more about the appetizers, specifically the fried oysters - are they fresh or frozen? Fresh, the waitress assures me. Where are they from? She doesn't know. She looks like a deer in headlights. She stalls. She hems and haws. How about asking the kitchen, I suggest.

Is it me or am I asking too much in expecting the server to know the origin of their food? Or at least to go and ask the kitchen of their own volition? Instead, I get the feeling that perhaps she thinks I'll just drop the question altogether alleviating her need to actually work.


Wok Fried Sweet Chili Calamari

By this point, some other appetizers have hit the other parts of our table. Items like the Thai-Style Steamer Clams and Ahi Poke. Sree warns me that some of the food here tends to the sweeter side of things and to watch out for that. I taste the clams and they're decidedly sweet. Sweetness can indeed be cloying in savory dishes, but this isn't just cloying, it's pretty darn sweet. Almost in your face sweet.

I ask the waitress for a recommendation. A fish recommendation since that's what I'm in the mood for. I don't know why I'm doing this because my faith in our server has already been lost. Maybe I'm just a masochist. She recommends the Baked Opah Mauna Kea and I ask her if it's sweet. She doesn't quite understand. I re-phrase the question, asking if the sauce with the fish is as sweet as the clams. She acknowledges that it is. Drop that selection.


House Mixed Greens

Falling back on something less risky, I ask her about the Roasted Garlic Ribeye Steak. Where is the beef from? Is it commercial? She doesn't know. Again, we play fifty questions before she goes off to ask the kitchen. Christ, maybe I am expecting too much. She returns sometime later with an answer: it's from Washington. Gee, glad we got that question answered. I give up trying to ask more and just order the steak.


Fresh Made Ahi Poke

The fish in the ahi poke is actually quite nice. Good quality tuna seasoned nicely. The problem is that it's more vegetable salad than ahi poke. There's more of everything except the fish. When you get it, it looks pretty sizable and you think you got a deal for ten bucks. Then you realize that it's mostly vegetables and hardly any fish and suddenly that great deal looks pretty lame.


Fried Oysters

From there, it was more of the same. The baby back ribs were just lame. Boiled ribs, slightly charred but the seasoning just doesn't do anything for the ribs. They fall short. I'm glad it wasn't my order. House Mixed Greens? Boring. I'll pass. The Opakapaka? Also too sweet. Pass.

The highlights were sweet calamari. They were actually good with a nice balance of sweet to spice. And the tuna wraps were interesting. Not too memorable, but in this dinner of memorably bad, that's a good thing.

Finally, my food arrives. Now, I had ordered the Fried Oysters from the Pupu menu and I fully expected them to arrive before the steak. Unhappily, they both arrived at the same time. WTF?


Garlic RibEye Steak

I took a moment to ponder why our waitress decided to order/fire both courses at the same time. It's just stupid and makes no sense. I thought for a moment about sending one back or asking her about it, then decided against it because it would only raise my ire - and I'm trying to enjoy an evening out with friends.

The oysters were fried nicely but were extremely watery - not the briney-ness you'd expect but watery. Maybe this is just punishment for ordering oysters in the summer months. But can't say they were bad though. Dip it in the cocktail sauce and it helps.

The steak, on the other hand, was a disappointment. Not because it was bad (it tasted decent enough) or that it was improperly cooked (it came out a nice medium), but the roasted garlic overpowered everything else, clashed with the flavor of the steak and seemed contrived and overly gratuitous. It was like someone thought they were being cute and clever by dropping a crapload of roasted garlic over a cooked steak and charging more for it. The garlic was burnt, bitter and paired horribly with the steak.

It would have been so much more successful if the kitchen stayed with simple: salt and pepper to season and simple grilling. Please, stop trying to be clever and go with simple.


Uncle Bo's
559 Kapahulu Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96815
808-735-8311
www.unclebosrestaurant.com

Chocolate Haupia Pie

The Chocolate Haupia Pie at Liliha Bakery

Today, Christine had a hankering for the Chocolate Haupia Pie from Ted's Bakery. The only problem is that Sunset Beach is far away. But never fear, a quick phone call to Ted's revealed that we could find there pie at area outlets like Long's Drugs, Safeway and Foodland. As I enjoyed a coffee and hung out with Charles Nelson at his Downtown Coffee on Fort Street Mall, Christine and DJ Un-G ran off to Long's to find her pie.

No luck.

No problem, we'll just head over to my old neighborhood Safeway. Again, no luck. Frick. Now we were stuck. Sunset Beach was still too far away so after a bit of thinking and consternation, we decided to check out and see if the famous Liliha Bakery had what we were looking for.

Liliha Bakery. It warms the heart. But it's weird because whenever I think of bakeries (or pancakes, for that matter) Liliha Bakery doesn't normally come to mind as quick as other places, but the food is always good and comfortable.


Leftover Pie.

While the rest of Honolulu lines up for coco puffs, rolls and other assorted goodies, the three of us take a seat at the long coffeeshop counter. Happily, Liliha Bakery offers their own version of the Chocolate Haupia Pie and they offer a pie of the day by the slice at the counter. The problem? Today is not the day for the Chocolate Haupia Pie by the slice.

As we chat with our waitress we're able to order a whole pie that she'll cut up in slices for us. The whole pie is nine dollars. It seems like a lot, but there's five slices per pie and the by the slice price is $2.50. That's $7.50 for three slices or nine dollars for the whole thing - not bad.

This pie is good. Pretty darn good. It's fluffy as all hell though, and that's a bit unnerving, but it is good. However, if you're looking for the Ted's Bakery version, this one is vastly different. Liliha's version has just a thin layer of chocolate sauce (I'm betting it's Hershey's) under a thick layer of a haupia cream of sorts, topped with whipped topping. It's delightful but quite different than the equal layers of chocolate pudding and haupia that Ted's makes.

In spite of the difference, this pie is good enough for small second slices and lots of coffee. In fact, it's great with coffee. Not to mention the really good looking food that's being made by the short order cook. It's been years since I ate at Liliha Bakery but the pancakes and french toast deserve further investigation.


Liliha Bakery
515 N Kuakini St
Honolulu, HI 96817
808-531-1651

Spro Honolulu

Old dreams die hard.

Ever since I arrived last week I've been having a bit of a crisis. Ever since I left Honolulu at the end of 1995 I've regretted it and always looked forward to moving back. It's only been these past few days that this desire has been challenged.

I don't know what I would do if I lived here again.

Since I don't work easily with others, going to work at some company seems out of the question. And going back into the movie business is certainly not my first choice in life, so I'm faced with the question of: "what would I do here?"

The obvious thing is to go into business and open a coffee shop here in Honoulu. God knows this city needs good coffee and He knows that I'm capable of doing it. But, is that really what I want to do? Is it really my calling?

For the past twelve years or so (ever since the old days of Havana Cabana), I've always thought the building on Nu'uanu Street would make for a killer club or restaurant or some kind of venture. With it's old styling and cool design, it could be the new hip and happening spot. Women would flock to my side. Men would follow my commands. I could become a minor deity.

In 2004, that old, abandoned building collapsed. All that history and all of my dreams of deification fell with that building. My hopes and dreams were dashed.

Fast forward to 2008 and today where I've happened across that old building and they've build a new one in it's image. It's a gorgeous throwback to old world Honolulu and looks sexy as all hell. Suddenly, my dreams of women and deification came back from the dead. I must take over that property.

So I called the landlord to inquire about the cost. $2.55 per square foot. That's $30.60 in East Coast terms. Good Lord, becoming a deity doesn't come cheap! Inside there's space for an espresso bar, a roaster and lab space for my mad-scientist experiments.

Ah, who knows? Maybe sometime soon you'll find an invitation in the mail for the grand opening of Spro Honolulu...

Pho 97

Spring Rolls

I didn't really learn to understand pho until about ten years ago with Doc Rhee in this very place. The guy is a pho phanatic. Me? I had no idea. To me, pho was some weird noodle aberration from Vietnam, not the proper Japanese ramen that I preferred. I think the first time I went along with it because Rhee spoke so passionately about it and I had nothing else to do that fateful morning.

Back then, I was the guy passed out snoring and half-naked on the lanai futon after late nights of partying for several weeks at a time between film gigs. In those days, we'd shoot a movie for a few months, make out like bandits and then travel for a couple of months. At some point in time, I would find myself in Honolulu crashing out on the futon at the house that The Bob, Rhee and Sree shared while they were still in their medical residency.


Iced Vietnamese Coffee

This time, we're back at Pho97 with Rhee, V., DJ Un-G and Christine and the pho is as good as it ever was. Over the years, I've come to realize that pho is something unto itself. It can be deep, mysterious and complex while maintaining a strong beefy character. For me, give me pho that's chock full of the good stuff: tendons, ligaments, tripe, meatballs and whatever odd bits and ends of the cow you have lying around. If it's tender and chewy, I want it.

The secret is in broth. It needs to be rich. Deep. Soul-satisfying with a cloying hint of spiciness, but not so much as to overpower the plate of additives. A squeeze of lime to punch the acidity. Some jalapeno peppers and chili peppers to give it punch and fire. Some bitter leaves (ngo gai) and sprouts to add complexity, with basil to round it all out.

When it comes to pho, I like a bit of a ritual. I want the raw beef served on the side so that I can season it up to my liking. A little black pepper, some soy sauce, a sprinkling of Sriracha chili paste and lime juice. I let this marinade on the side while I eat the pho and then enjoy it after with a small order of steamed white rice.


Special Pho with everything and raw meat on the side.

But I like to start off with a few spoonfuls of just the plain broth to see what it's made of. This is the ultimate test. The broth must carry the pho. Too weak and the whole thing falls flat - nothing can save it. Sad to say that I've been to more than one pho joint serving weak broth and it was just disaster.

After a few sips of the broth, I like to add the lime juice. Just squeeze it in, mix it up and taste. Does the lime brighten the soup? Does it make it come alive? It should. Then I'll chop up the leafy greens and add them in with the sprouts. Mix them up, let them mingle and taste again. The flavor should build in complexity, like an orchestra pushing a crescendo. The flavor should be whole by now.

Adding chili paste and the jalapenos are mainly to produce spark and fire. I don't like adding too much, just a little to make it pop, not sizzle. I like to eat and taste my pho, not try to consume it without it burning my mouth and tastebuds further.

As always, Pho97 doesn't disappoint. It's traditional Vietnamese pho. None of this high-tech, new wave re-interpretive kind of Asian fusion stuff you see going on else. Just simple ingredients properly prepared the same way in 1998 as it is now in 2008.

In other words, it's my kind of pho joint.


Pho 97
1120 Maunakea St # 176
Honolulu, HI 96817
808-538-0708

Kamuela Deli and the Chicken Curry Katsu

Teri Beef and Chicken Katsu Mixed Plate

It's been a long day of flying, driving and shooting and we're hungry. Other than the bibingka at Lorie's house, we haven't eaten anything since breakfast at Honolulu airport. The problem I've found with the Kailua-Kona area is the general lack of great places to eat.

Sure, there's lots of places for tourists to eat. Along Ali'i Drive you'll find all sorts of places like Hard Rock Cafe and Bubba Gump Shrimp, but I want to eat local food - not this cheap, frozen, gimmicky tourist shit. Once upon a time, there was a rundown joint on Ali'i Drive, but that's gone now. In the mid 1990s, the Kona Ranch House had amazing breakfasts but that's gone too. Even the venerable Sam Choy closed his industrial park eatery. I can only imagine that living in Kailua-Kona must be miserable.

But at least there's Kamuela Deli in the Kona Coast Shopping Center off Palani Road.


Chicken Curry Katsu Plate

Kamuela Deli is your typical Hawaii plate lunch joint. For a few bucks, you get your choice of entree with two scoops of rice and a scoop of macaroni salad. To someone from the mainland, the delivery of two starches is just odd. For the rest of us, it's the National Dish of Hawai'i.

While you can get all sorts of meats, the one meat that has come to the center of the plate in the islands is the tonkatsu derivative known as Chicken Katsu. It's simple: take some chicken thighs, debone and pound until thin. Dip in flour and eggwash, coat with panko breadcrumbs and fry until crisp. Serve with traditional tonkatsu sauce.

Roughly thirteen years ago (or maybe fourteen), a shop in Honolulu called I Love Country Cafe started pouring curry sauce over their chicken katsu. Back in 1994, they were the only place you could order this new-fangled thing called Chicken Curry Katsu. Today, you can find it at plate lunch joints worldwide.


Side of Fries

After a long day of shooting all along the southern coast of the Big Island, it was time to grind. Gerry went with the standard chicken curry katsu while I opted for the chicken katsu & teriyaki beef combination plate. The katsu on both was as it should be: moist and crunchy. Paired with the curry sauce and the katsu comes alive, but the teri beef was tough and dry - I should have stuck with the katsu.

While it's not the best plate lunch in the islands, it's pretty darn good - and perhaps the only choice in Kailua-Kona.


Kamuela Deli
Kona Coast Shopping Center
74-5588 Palani Rd # 10
Kailua Kona, HI 96740
808-334-0017

Ka Lae

Ka Lae - South Point. The Southernmost tip of the United States.

One of my favorite places on the Big Island is South Point, aka Ka Lae. It is the southernmost tip of the United States and the view (as well as the surf) can be amazing. Situated on Department of Hawaiian Homelands land, I can't help but peer off the sheer cliffs and be tempted by the deep blue waters below.

It's at least a thirty to fifty foot drop into fifty foot waters. On a hot day, the water looks so inviting and calm - and the climb back up the cliff seems simple with the human-mounted metal ladders. Each time I step the edge, I want to jump. I want to let loose and feel free. Feel myself soaring through the air and then splashing into the cold waters below. I imagine it would be an incredible experience.

That's about the time I remember that the locals like this spot because of the deep waters to catch deep water fish like aku or sailfish, which means the possibility of sharks, and who wants to experience the exhilaration of soaring through the air only to drop into a school of hungry tiger sharks?

Instead, we spend the rest of the afternoon shooting more segments for Barista del Mundo. Segments featuring the fishing at Ka Lae, nearly getting stuck off-roading in our rental Saturn Vue SUV, harvesting macadamia nuts, eating raw sugar cane and visiting Punalu'u Black Sand Beach.

But someday, I wish to soar into the deep blue Pacific waters at Ka Lae.

Rusty's Hawaiian Ka'u Coffee

The view from Rusty's Coffee Plantation. Elevation 2000 feet.

Darn it.

Sometimes flying by the seat of your pants bites you in the ass.

The plan was simple enough: fly to Kona, grab a rental car, drive to Na'alehu, pick up some sweetbread, visit Rusty's Hawaiian Ka'u Coffee, drive back to Captain Cook, visit Pele Plantations and then fly out on the last flight back to Honolulu.

It was a simple plan based on ignorance.

Had I really thought it through and used a map, I would have realized that Lorie Obra's farm in Ka'u was actually closer to Hilo than Kona. So, instead of a two hour plus drive from Kona, it could have been an hour and twenty minute drive from HIlo. We'd get there earlier, shoot the segment, haul ass over to Captain Cook, shoot another segment, cut across the Big Island using the illegal Saddle Road and be back in HIlo for the last flight back to Honolulu (it's always cheaper to return the rental to the same place you picked it up from).

But no. I just relied on my old memory that Ka'u is next to Kona so it couldn't be that far.

Duh.


Farmer, Processor, Roaster Lorie Obra surveys the land.

My error resulted in our missing our window of opportunity to shoot at Pele Plantations. Originally, I had wanted to do a basic comparison of Kona and Ka'u coffees, but now that would have to wait.

All wasn't lost though. On the way to Ka'u, we ended up shooting additional segments for the show featuring lava and other unique and interesting factoids about visiting The Big Island - not to mention shooting a short segment at Kona Mountain Coffee's retail location just off Ka'ahumanu Highway near the airport.

I had been introduced to the owner of Rusty's Hawaiian Ka'u Coffee, Lorie Obra, by old friend Miguel Meza of Paradise Coffee Roasters. Over the past year, Miguel has been telling me about his ventures into this developing growing region of Hawaii and his efforts to find quality conscious growers willing to experiment with different techniques.

I won't talk about those techniques here since that's what this episode of Barista del Mundo is about. You'll just have to wait for the show to air or visit Lorie yourself. But what I will tell you is that I found their experiments to be wildly fascinating and daringly exciting.

Originally, Rusty and Lorie Obra were from New Jersey via The Philippines. At the turn of the century, the Obra's decided that they wanted to retire from their scientific and medical backgrounds and take advantage of the offer in Hawaii to rent old sugar plantation land as coffee farms. With that in mind, they moved to Ka'u and made it happen.

So committed to this project that Rusty dug the holes and planted each Guatemala variety coffee tree by hand on the upper part of the farm - some six hundred trees. If anything, these Filipinos are committed.


A planting of Guatemala variety coffee trees on the upper part of the plantation.

Unfortunately, two years ago Rusty fell ill and became a victim of cancer. However, instead of selling off the farm, Lorie took over the reigns of the operation and now runs the farm almost single-handedly.

When it comes to television personalities, it's hard to come by someone as animated, comfortable, relaxed and funny on camera as Lorie. She tells her stories, shows us how she processes the coffees and serves us freshly brewed coffee and bibingka without any self-consciousness about the camera. In an email following our visit, Lorie would ask if she really did say "Oh Shit" on the video.

We spent several hours with Lorie and her dogs and had a great time. Her and Rusty's story flowed effortlessly as we climbed either the rafters in her drying room or the hillside of the plantation. It was a wonderful time and I'm really looking forward to airing this episode.


Rusty's Hawaiian 100% Ka'u Coffee
PO Box 845
Pahala, HI 96777
808-928-8916
866-928-8916 toll free

Going To Kona

Gerry Chose Wisely: Spam, Eggs & Rice.

Getting up early to catch a flight can be a difficult proposition - especially if you've been out until late the night before. This morning we're on our way to Kona on the Big Island to shoot an upcoming episode of Barista del Mundo - the jet setting travel show about coffee and coffee professionals from around the world that I've been shooting for the past year.

At such an early hour, how can one expect another to make wise and sound meal choices? Like a fool, I went for the immediately familiar Burger King. Smartly, cameraman Gerry went for the breakfast plate of Spam, Eggs & Rice.

I would be off my A Game all day.


I Choose Poorly: Burger King Croissanwich and hash rounds.